Simple DIY Serving Tray

When we got our new sectional we discovered pretty quickly that there was one tiny problem with it.

Don’t get me wrong. This sectional is the best thing to happen to our home in a long time. It sits fabulously, the entire family can snuggle up together on it to watch movies, it fits plenty for a party, and its just stunning, if I do say so myself.

BUT, with a sectional we have no room to put end tables. Which means no place to put down a drink or set a book or, you know, put our crap on. We did also buy an ottoman to go with the sectional but there is no way I’m letting anyone put a cup down on that. Its tufted and not completely flat.

I decided we need a serving tray for the couch. Just something small that is easy to move around but provides a solid flat surface. I also wanted something that matched our decor so this project just became a DIY! I’m going to show you a super simple serving tray you can whip up in no time flat!

I started out with four 2 1/2″ x 1/4″ aspen boards from Home Depot. They were 2′ long. You can find them in the trim aisle.

I had the hubs trim the boards down to 15″. We placed the boards 1/8″ apart and used the remnants we cut off to connect them together using wood glue and short screws.

The screws aren’t so pretty, but we will cover them up later.

To stain the wood I used Minwax Wood Finish in dark walnut. I applied it with a staining sponge and made sure to wear some latex gloves.

One coat of stain was all it took for this gorgeous look! The aspen boards took the stain beautifully.

To get the stain between the boards I used a thick shop towel (you can find them by the roll at Walmart).

I added 2 coats of Minwax clear semi gloss, following the directions on the can. After the polyurethane was dry we added handles to the tray (handles also from Home Depot). I love how not fancy they are. Silver, squared, and perfectly simple. Just what this tray needed!

Going back to those unsightly screws on the back of the tray…

Using felt that is of similar color to the stained wood, trim it to fit the underside slats of wood. Use spray adhesive to attach the felt to the wood.

The felt works double duty hiding the screws and preventing the wood from catching on the threads of the couch/ottoman.

And here is our finished piece! The final dimensions are 15″ x 10 1/2″.

The serving tray is the perfect size for my morning mug of coffee and a snack!

Plus its a great place to put the remote at the end of the day so we don’t have to search the couch for it.

Added bonus? The staining turned out to match our flooring and the legs of the furniture perfectly!

Its just what I wanted. Something simple, that would complement the sectional but not be a major focal point.

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